Linear generator with a swinging piston

ABSTRACT

An electromechanical energy converter for a gaseous or vaporous medium comprising a stator ( 1 ) with two pot-shaped stator members ( 1   a   , 1   b ), each open at one end face and adjoining each other at these end faces, the stator members surrounding a working space ( 12 ) and forming a common magnetically permeated air gap ( 7 ) in which a coreless armature coil ( 25 ) is displaceably arranged. Arranged in the working space ( 12 ) is a freely oscillating piston ( 14 ) linked to the armature coil ( 25 ). Furthermore, at least one source ( 21   a   , 21   b ) for the medium, two reaction chambers ( 66   a   , 66   b ) each assigned to a head ( 15   a   , 15   b ) of the piston ( 14 ) and control means ( 17   a   , 19   a   , 22   a   , 23   a   ; 17   b   , 19   b   , 22   b   , 23   b ) assigned to the reaction chambers ( 66   a   , 66   b ) for self-control of the piston oscillations are provided, by means of which the reaction chambers ( 66   a   , 66   b ) may be opened to the source ( 21   a   , 21   b ) during the piston oscillations for accepting medium under pressure, and to the working chamber ( 12 ) for releasing expanded medium ( FIG. 11 ).

CROSS-REFERENCE

The invention described and claimed hereinbelow is also described in PCT/DE 02/04481, filed on Dec. 6, 2002, A 1927/2001, filed in Austria on Dec. 7, 2001 and on DE 102 09 858.1, filed in Germany on Mar. 6, 2002. This Austrian Patent Application, whose subject matter is incorporated here by reference, provides the basis for a claim of priority of invention under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention concerns an electromechanical energy converter designed as a linear generator having a free piston.

In contrast to conventional electromechanical energy converters, linear generators with freely oscillating working pistons dispense with rotary movements and the crank drives needed for these. The energy conversion is provided by the back and forth linear movement of a working piston, often known as a free piston. The conversion of the mechanical energy into electrical energy takes place thereby that the working piston is provided with a plurality of magnets of alternating polarity and is arranged in a coil surrounding it (DD 113 593, DE 43 15 046 A1, DE 199 43 993 A1). A corresponding principle is applied to electromechanical converters that do not work as electrical generators, but as electrical linear motors (DE 41 07 530 A1) or that serve optionally for electrical or mechanical energy generation (EP 0 185 656 B1). Due to the plurality of permanent magnets mounted on the working piston and the inertia caused thereby, large accelerating and braking forces have to be applied, which result in low working frequencies. Normally for these so-called field displacers, magnet pairs arranged with mirror symmetry or rotational symmetry are used, in order, in the ideal case, to avoid lateral forces. Due to manufacturing tolerances, this is not fully achievable, however and the bearings are increasingly loaded through even the slightest wear. These loads then become exponentiated. Complex designs increase the proneness to faults, which militates against maintenance-free operation of the working piston over several years.

Energy converters of the aforementioned type have therefore become known (U.S. Pat. No. 4,532,431, WO 94/26019) whereby the working pistons are linked solely by a coreless armature coil, displaceably mounted in the air gap between two pot-shaped stator members arranged mutually opposed. Although an arrangement of this type offers significant advantages with regard to the accelerating and braking forces to be applied, energy converters of this type have previously not become established on the market. A main reason for this may be seen in the fact that the piston heads impinged upon by the gaseous or vaporous medium are displaceably mounted in chambers arranged outside the stator, whereby sealing problems arise which militate against operation of the piston free from faults and servicing over several years. Furthermore, it is not possible with these energy converters without further difficulty to guide the gaseous or vaporous medium round a circuit, to realise a compact and space-saving design, and to solve cooling problems arising during operation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The technical problem to be solved by the present invention therefore consists in designing an electromagnetic energy converter of the aforementioned type such that, while avoiding the stated disadvantages, the occurrence of sealing problems are avoided and a simple space-saving design may be arrived at which enables very quiet operation over long, maintenance-free periods.

The invention brings with it the advantage that the gaseous or vaporous medium is conducted, after its expansion, into the working space surrounded by the stator. This enables the creation of a compact, closed system with a common cooling space which may be used, on the one hand, for cooling the components of the electromechanical converter (field coils, armature coil, etc.) and, on the other hand, for cooling and condensation of the gaseous or vaporous medium. Further advantages consist therein that the piston may be designed short and without special bearings, which enables lasting, maintenance-free running of the piston and no external chambers need to be provided, so that no sealing problems can arise.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described in greater detail using embodiments illustrated in the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows the basic structure of the stator of an electromagnetic converter according to the invention in a schematic longitudinal section;

FIG. 2 shows a section along the line II-II in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows, on a scale somewhat changed relative to FIG. 1, a longitudinal section through a working piston linked to an armature coil for the converter according to the invention;

FIGS. 4 and 5 show schematic partial diagrams of two possible embodiments of a device operated with the converter according to the invention;

FIG. 6 shows a longitudinal section through an embodiment of a complete converter;

FIGS. 7 and 8 show a schematic section through a valve of the converter according to FIG. 6 in a closed position and an open position;

FIGS. 9 and 10 show a partial view of the converter according to FIG. 6 in two different operational positions of a working piston;

FIG. 11 shows a longitudinal section through a second embodiment of a complete converter;

FIG. 12 shows an enlarged detail X of FIG. 6 with a supply line for a coolant and/or lubricant;

FIG. 13 shows a section along the line XIII-XIII in FIG. 9, and

FIG. 14 shows a section along the line XIV-XIV in FIG. 13.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

According to FIGS. 1 and 2, an electromechanical energy converter according to the invention has a stator 1 with two pot-shaped stator members 1 a and 1 b made of soft iron or similar. The stator member 1 a contains a central pole piece 3 coaxial with a longitudinal axis 2 of the converter and an outer pole piece 4 surrounding it coaxially in annular fashion. The central pole piece 3 is preferably formed substantially cylindrical. On the other hand, the outer pole piece 4 is preferably designed as a hollow cylinder and closed by a base 5 at one end. At the open side opposing the base 5 of the pot thus formed, the two pole pieces 3, 4 suitably border a planar end face. Between the pole pieces 3, 4 is a peripheral annular gap. The stator member 1 b is suitably formed identical to the stator member 1 a and, like it, having rotational symmetry about the longitudinal axis 2.

As FIGS. 1 and 2 also show, the two stator members 1 a, 1 b adjoin each other with their end faces lying on the open sides along a plane of symmetry indicated by a line 6, so that on the one hand, they are arranged with mirror symmetry about the plane of symmetry 6 and, on the other hand, are arranged coaxial with the longitudinal axis 2. Their gaps arranged between the pole pieces 3, 4 therefore continue to an air gap identified overall with the reference number 7.

In a region between the central pole piece 3 and the outer pole piece 4, the stator members 1 a, 1 b have recesses in which are arranged windings 8 a, 8 b that are connected in a manner not shown in greater detail to a direct current source. The poling of the magnetic field generated by the windings 8 a, 8 b is chosen such that, for instance, a north pole N forms on the central pole piece 3 and on the outer pole piece 4, a south pole S forms (FIG. 1), although the polarity may also be reversed. Furthermore, it is clear that the stator 1 could also be excited by permanent magnets, in which case the windings 8 a, 8 b would be dispensed with.

Finally, FIGS. 1 and 2 show that the central pole piece 3 of each stator member 1 a, 1 b is provided, on the one hand, with a central recess and, on the other hand, with slits 11 in a cruciform arrangement. The recesses are arranged coaxial with the longitudinal axis 2, each closed at their outer end with one schematically indicated cover 10 a, 10 b and formed axially continuous, so that they form a passageway 9 running between the covers 10 a, 10 b. The slits 11, however, run perpendicular to the plane of symmetry 6 and radially to the air gap 7 (FIG. 2), so that they link it to the passageway 9. By this means, in the central pole pieces 3, a coherent working space 12 comprising the passageway 9 and the slits 11 and only indicated in FIG. 6 is formed.

A substantial advantage of the two similarly made mutually abutting stator members 1 a, 1 b consists therein that outside the air gap 7, no stray fields arise. Rather, the field lines emanating from the two stator members 1 a, 1 b are squeezed back into the iron parts and therefore made fully effective in the air gap 7, so that it is evenly magnetically permeated over the entire length, leading to a high level of efficiency.

FIG. 3 shows a freely oscillating piston 14 of the converter according to the invention to be arranged in the passageway 9. Like the passageway 9, the piston 14 preferably has a circular cross-section and is formed in a central section as a tube 14 a. On its two ends, this tube 14 a is closed by a piston head 15 a, 15 b and is mounted displaceable back and forth in two cylinder sections 16 a, 16 b, each with a sliding seating, whereby the cylinder sections 16 a, 16 b are sealed in the central recesses of the associated pole pieces 3 and fixed to them, for instance, with screws. The cylinder sections 16 a, 16 b may alternatively comprise a continuous cylinder, although for practical reasons they are separated in order that each cylinder section 16 a, 16 b may be individually removed axially for servicing and repair work and may be installed.

In the example, the piston 14, usually designated as a free piston, has coaxial guide shoulders standing outwards or sliders 17 a, 17 b of reduced cross-section, which are mounted coaxially displaceable in guide openings of end disks 19 a, 19 b arranged transversely in the cylinder sections 16 a, 16 b. Furthermore, the piston 14 is sealed relative to the cylinder sections 16 a, 16 b with the aid of circumferential seals 20 a, 20 b standing out radially close to the piston heads 15 a, 15 b radially spaced from its periphery, so that between the piston heads 15 a, 15 b and the associated covers 10 a, 10 b, compression chambers 21 a, 21 b are produced. These serve to receive a gaseous or vaporous medium in order to induce the piston 14 into a back and forth movement freely oscillating in known manner or—if the piston is driven—periodically to compress and expand the medium situated in the compression chambers 21 a, 21 b in the manner of a compressor or similar. The control of the movement of the piston 14 may be carried out, as is explained in greater detail below based on FIG. 11, for instance, with the aid of control slits 22 a, 22 b made in its outer jacket and arranged distributed round its periphery, the end disks 19 a, 19 b and by outlet slits 23 a and 23 b formed in the cylinder sections 16 a, 16 b, said outlets being formed on the ends of the cylinder sections 16 a, 16 b facing towards the plane of symmetry 6 and arranged distributed in the peripheral direction. The parts 17 a, 17 b, 19 a, 22 a, 22 b, 23 a and 23 b represent the control means of a slider valve control system, explained below. It is important in this regard that the outlet slits 23 a, 23 b are open to the working space 12.

The piston 14 is provided in a central section with webs 24 projecting outwards and arranged in cruciform manner, whose form and size is so dimensioned that they may be accommodated by an allocated guide slit 11 and moved back and forth in it on moving the piston 14 back and forth. On their radially outer ends, the webs 24 are attached to the inside of an armature coil 25 to be arranged coaxially in the air gap 7, the size and form of said armature coil being so dimensioned that it is able to join, in the manner of a plunger coil, in axial movements of the working piston 14 in the air gap 7.

The armature coil 25 is substantially coreless according to the invention and is therefore of low weight, so that neither do large acceleration forces have to be applied, nor do radial transverse forces occur on movement of the armature coil 25 in the air gap 7. Furthermore, the piston 14, the webs 24 and the armature coil 25 comprise a coherent unit which, due to the use of a coreless armature coil 25 may also be designed relatively light, particularly if the piston 14 and the webs 24 are made, for instance, of aluminium, fibre composite material or similar. By this means, high working frequencies may be achieved in the practical implementation.

As FIG. 4 shows schematically, the piston 14 is surrounded by two springs 27 a, 27 b designed as helical springs, which are attached with their inner ends each to an allocated terminal of the armature coil 25, but which lead outwards with their outer ends out of the converter. Furthermore, the springs 27 a, 27 b are linked to the piston 14 and stationary parts in the working space 12, such that when the converter is not in operation, they define a central position of the piston 14 and the armature coil 15, which is favourable for a starting or running-up phase of the converter. The springs 27 a, 27 b therefore serve both as electrical connections for the armature coil 25, avoiding sliding contacts or similar, and also for centring it.

In the example shown in FIG. 4, a converter 28 designed according to the invention as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 is illustrated as part of an electrical generator or similar, which may be used for instance, in a one or two-family house for additional electrical generating. In addition, applications in isolated operation (in huts, yachts, mobile homes or similar) or in countries without central electricity generation are also conceivable. In such cases, the converter 28 is operated with steam generated, for instance, in a boiler 29 to the required pressure of, for instance, 30 bar to 50 bar and the required temperature of between e.g. 200 C and 350 C. In this case, the boiler 29 is designed as an accessory component of a normal oil or gas burner 30 present anyway in heating systems for living accommodation, which may be used for operating a normal oil or gas heating system and whose flame may also be used for generating steam.

The converter 28 is preferably provided with two circuits linked within the converter, which both conduct steam or water, A first circuit serves as the coolant and/or lubricant circuit. It contains a pump 31, which draws coolant and/or lubricant flowing through the working space 12 of the converter 28, in this case water, from a removal line 32 formed in the stator 1 and feeds it to a heat exchanger 33 which, for instance, supports the heating of service water through a living accommodation heating system. The water cooled in the heat exchanger 33 is fed again to the converter 28 through a feed line 34 of the stator 1 as coolant and/or lubricant. The second circuit, on the other hand, contains a pump 35, which also draws water out of the converter 28 through the removal opening 32, but feeds it directly to the vaporiser 29, where it is vaporised again and is fed to a connector 36 in the cover 10 a and/or 10 b as a vaporous working medium. The steam serves to drive the piston 14, as explained below. Following the working operation, the steam condenses again to water and is collected in the free space 12 (FIG. 1) like the water used as coolant and/or lubricant and from there is fed again to the removal line 32. Both circuits are therefore unified in a common housing formed by the stator members 1 a, 1 b and the covers 10 a, 10 b and hermetically sealed against the outside.

The embodiment according to FIG. 5 differs from that according to FIG. 4 only in that the pump 35, as described below, is replaced by at least one piston pump installed in a bore in the central pole piece 3 and therefore directly integrated into a converter 37. In the embodiment according to FIG. 5, in each of the two central pole pieces 3, a piston pump 38 a, 38 b of this type is provided. In each case, one piston 39 a, 39 b of the piston pump 38 a, 38 b is preferably attached to one of the webs 24, whereby the pump stroke is synchronised with the stroke of the piston 14. Otherwise, in FIG. 5 the same reference numbers are used as in FIG. 4.

FIGS. 6 to 10 show further details of the converter 28 shown only schematically in FIGS. 1 to 4, so that similar parts are identified with the same numbers even where they show slight differences in comparison with FIGS. 1 to 4 and these differences are not of importance to the invention.

As distinct from FIG. 3, the tube 14 a of the piston 14 is provided on the axial ends with two piston heads 41 a, 41 b, each of which has at its outer ends a circumferential groove into which a sealing ring 42 and a piston ring 43 are inserted (FIG. 9). Both are held in the groove by disks 44 lying against them from outside, whereby the two disks 44 are tensioned against the piston heads 41 a, 41 b by a rod 45 extending through the piston heads 41 a, 41 b and nuts 46 screwed onto its ends and thereby attached to said piston heads. The sealing ring 42 may act as a sliding bearing and support the sealing effect of the piston ring 43.

According to the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 6 to 10, arranged in each of the axially inner ends of the compression chambers 21 a, 21 b shown in FIG. 3 is a valve 47 a, 47 b, each of which lies with mirror symmetry to the plane of symmetry 6 and preferably designed identically, so that only the valve 47 b will be described in greater detail below. Both valves 47 a, 47 b serve the purpose of bringing about self-control of the oscillations of the working piston 14.

As is shown in particular by FIGS. 7, 8 and 9, the valve 47 b contains a substantially hollow cylindrical housing 48 which is set coaxially and in sealed manner into the axially outer end of the cylinder section 16 b and ends at the cover 10 b. Situated coaxially in the housing 48 and fixed rigidly by means of a screw fixing 49 on the cover 10 b is a substantially cylindrical guide body 50 on which is mounted a valve body 51 designed as a hollow cylinder displaceable parallel to the longitudinal axis 2. The valve body 51 contains a cylindrical jacket 52 (FIGS. 7, 8), which gives way towards the piston head 41 b along a conical section 53 to a cylindrical end section 54 of reduced cross-section in which a plurality of openings 55 is formed. On its end remote from the end section 54, the valve body 51 is provided with a shoulder section 56 angled perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 2, which gives way to a guide section 57 arranged coaxially with the longitudinal axis 2. This is displaceably mounted on the guide body 50 by means of a sliding bearing 58, which also serves as a seal, fixed in the peripheral surface of the guide body 50 and tensioned in the direction of the associated piston head 41 b by means of at least one compression spring 59 supported between the shoulder section 56 and the cover 10 b.

The housing 48 is provided on its end facing towards the piston head 41 b with a peripheral valve seating 60, whereby the arrangement is such that in a closed position of the valve 47T (FIG. 7) the valve body 51 is pressed with its conical section 53 against the valve seating 60 and is held in this closed position by the compression spring 59.

The connector 36 offset laterally from the longitudinal axis 2 in FIGS. 7 to 9 serves to introduce the gaseous or vaporous medium coming, for instance, from the vaporiser 29 (FIG. 4) into the compression chamber 21 b surrounded by the housing 48. The chamber surrounds the guide body 50 and the valve body 51 in annular fashion and extends axially as far as the valve seating 60. If the valve 47 b is in the closed position according to FIGS. 6, 7 and 9, the medium is unable to leave the compression chamber 21 b, so that a reaction chamber or expansion chamber 61 b axially enclosed in front of the valve 47 b by the cylinder 16 b remains substantially unpressurised. In this case, the openings 55 are all on a site within the reaction chamber 61 b lying in the axial direction to the left of the valve seating 60.

The valve body 51 may be pushed against the pressure of the compression springs 59 in FIG. 9 to the right into an open position apparent from FIGS. 8 and 10, whereby its guide section 57 slides on the sliding bearing 58. In the open position, the conical section 53 is lifted off the valve seating 60, whereby simultaneously the openings 55 come to lie at least partially on the right side of the valve seating 60 in FIG. 8, as is indicated in FIG. 8 for an opening 55 a. As a result, the gaseous or vaporous medium may now flow in the direction of the arrows drawn in FIG. 8 out of the compression chamber 21 b through the openings 55 and the end section 54 into the adjoining reaction chamber 61 b.

The valve arrangement containing the valve 47 a, which is arranged on the opposing side—the left in FIG. 6—of the piston 14, is correspondingly designed, though with mirror symmetry. Furthermore, the parts 23 a, 23 b, 47 a, 47 b represent the control means of a valve control system, whereby the outlet slits 23 a, 23 b are again open to the working space 12.

The mode of operation of the converter described on the basis of FIGS. 6 to 10 is substantially as follows:

In the rest position, the piston 14 and the armature coil 25 are in a central position created by the springs 27 a, 27 b (FIGS. 4, 5) in which both valves 47 a, 47 b are in the closed position. The converter is started in that a current is passed through the armature coil 25 from outside, which is dependent upon the load associated with the armature coil 25 and the power at which the current windings 8 a, 8 b are operated. The armature load may be adapted in advance depending upon the pressure of the working medium prevailing in the compression chambers 21 a, 21 b such that following the start-up process, optimum running of the piston 14 is achieved. Usually, a single defined stroke induced by this means suffices to bring the converter into motion, whereupon the current flow to the armature coil 25 is switched off. The required calculations are preferably carried out in a special starting box to which, for monitoring purposes, the present stroke position may be passed, measured for instance, with two stroke sensors 62 (FIG. 5) assigned to the piston 14 or the webs 24 or the armature coil 25.

It is assumed that the piston 14 moves to the right in FIGS. 6 to 10. It then reaches the end of its stroke close to the valve 47 b, whereby any expanded gas residues in the reaction chamber 61 b are compressed and ejected through the still open outlet slit 23 b of the cylinder section 16 b into the working space 12. Shortly thereafter, the outlet slit 23 b is closed by the piston head 41 b and the reaction chamber 61 b is sealed by the piston ring 43.

As soon as the piston head 41 b, with the constant reduction of the reaction chamber 61 b, makes contact with the end section 54 of the valve 47 b, the valve body 51 is moved to the right against the force of the springs 59 (FIG. 10). For this purpose, the piston head 41 b may be provided with a contact plate 63 (FIGS. 9, 10) adapted to the form of the end section 54 of the valve body 51, said contact plate being arranged between the disk 44 and the nut 46. The right dead-centre point of the working piston 14 is reached (in FIG. 10), for instance, when the nut 46 makes contact with the bottom of a recess in the guide body 50.

As a result of the movement of the valve body 51 as described, the valve 47 b is opened. The reaction chamber 61 b is now open to the compression chamber 21 b, so that the medium present in the latter may pass through the at least partially freed openings 55 into the reaction chamber 61 b and may perform work there in that it pushes the piston 14 in FIG. 10 to the left and thereby enlarges the reaction chamber 61 b once again. This continues initially until the valve body 51 is returned by the springs 59 into its closed position again.

On the left side of the converter in FIG. 6, corresponding processes are taking place. Through movement of the piston 14 to the right, the valve 47 a is brought into the closed position and the reaction chamber 61 a enlarged ever more until the piston head 41 a finally frees the outlet slits 23 a in the cylinder section 16 a and the reaction chamber 61 a is linked to the working space 12, in order to allow the expanded medium to flow into the working space 12. If therefore the piston 14 moves left as described, at the start of tis movement stroke, initially any residual gas left in the reaction chamber 61 a is released through the outlet slits 23 a into the working space 12, whereupon the outlet slits 23 a are closed and the reaction chamber 61 a is sealed by the seal 42 and the piston ring 43 of the piston head 41 a. The processes described then repeat, since the piston 14 now moves in the direction of the left-hand dead-centre point, thereby opening the valve 47 a and is again accelerated to the right by the steam arising in the left-hand compression chamber 21 b. The reaction chambers 61 a, 61 b each serve in this process as a buffer or gas spring, since by correct dimensioning and arrangement of the outlet slits 23 a, 23 b, they ensure that the piston 14 does not impact hard at its dead-centre points against the guide bodies 50 of the valves 47 a, 47 b or other stationary part of the converter.

Since the armature coil 25 is firmly attached via the webs 24 to the piston 14, it is moved back and forth within the stator 1 in the rhythm of the piston 14, whereby in known fashion an alternating electrical current is generated, which may be tapped off by means of the springs 27 a, 27 b.

The embodiment according to FIG. 11 shows details of the converter 37 designed according to FIGS. 1 to 3 and FIG. 5, so that the same reference numbers are used for the same parts even if these parts show slight differences compared with FIGS. 1 to 3 and FIG. 5.

In similar manner to FIG. 3, the piston 14 is provided at each end with a piston head 15 a and 15 b having sliders 17 a, 17 b directed axially outwards in whose peripheral surfaces the control slits 22 a, 22 b are formed. The control slits 22 a, 22 b take the place here of the valves 47 a, 47 b of the embodiments according to FIGS. 6 to 10 and together with the end disks 19 a, 19 b and the outlet slits 23 a, 23 b, comprise a slider valve control system for self-control of the piston oscillation. Otherwise, the control slits 22 a, 22 b are arranged on the sliders 17 a, 17 b such that during the back and forth movement of the piston 14, they interact with the sling rings 64 a, 64 b extending inwards and mounted in the end disks 19 a, 19 b.

A further difference from the embodiment according to FIGS. 6 to 10 consists therein that the two piston heads 15 a, 15 b and the adjoining sliders 17 a, 17 b are passed through by a continuous coaxial tube 65, which links the two compression chambers 21 a, 21 b in every position of the piston 14 so as to allow through-flow. Therefore only one of the two connectors 36 in the covers 10 a and 10 b is provided for feeding in the gaseous or vaporous working medium, whilst the other connector 36 is closed. Depending upon the spatial circumstances, one or other of the connectors 36 may be selected for feeding in the working medium. In any event, the working medium enters into the relevant compression chamber 21 b on one side and, on the other side, also through the tube 65 into the other compression chamber 21 a or vice versa, so that substantially the same gas or steam pressure prevails in both.

The operational method of the embodiment according to FIG. 11 is substantially as follows.

After the starting procedure which takes place similarly to FIGS. 6 to 10, the piston 14 is situated, for instance, according to FIG. 1I in its left-hand dead-centre position. In this position, the control slits 22 a are arranged on either side of the sealing ring 64 a and therefore open partially to the compression chamber 21 a and partially to the reaction chamber 66 a, which is situated between the end disk 19 a and the associated piston head 15 a. The pressurised medium may therefore enter in the direction of the arrow into the reaction chamber 66 a, thereby act on the piston head 15 a and move the entire piston 14 in FIG. 11 to the right. After a distance dependent upon the axial length of the control slits 22 a, these are situated entirely on the right side (in FIG. 11) of the sealing ring 64 a or the end disk 19 a, so that now only the medium in the reaction chamber 66 a is able to act on the piston head 15 a.

Similarly to the above description of the first embodiment, in this phase the outlet slits 23 b on the opposing side are still open, so that in a reaction chamber 66 b situated there, any residual expanded gas is able to be ejected through the outlet slits 23 b into the working space 12. However, after a certain movement of the piston 14 to the right, the outlet slits 23 b are closed by the associated piston head 15 b, whereupon the piston rings 20 b lie against the cylinder section 16 b. At the same time, the sealing ring 64 b still lies against the associated right-hand slider 17 b, so that the reaction chamber 66 b is hermetically sealed and the gaseous or vaporous medium cannot enter it.

On further movement of the working piston 14 to the right, the left-hand reaction chamber 66 a is increasingly enlarged, whereas the right-hand reaction chamber 65 b is increasingly diminished, forming a buffer, whereby a hard impact of the piston head 15 b against the end disk 19 b is avoided. Shortly before this impact, the control slits 22 b also reach the region of the sealing ring 64 b, until finally they make a flow connection between the compression chamber 21 b and the reaction chamber 66 b and the movement direction of the piston 14 is therefore gradually reversed. The same process steps are then repeated as described above for the left side of the converter 37.

As FIG. 11 also shows, the coolant and/or lubricant, which is introduced according to FIGS. 4 and 5 via the feed line 34 into the stator 1, passes via a channel 67 formed in said stator into an annular chamber 68 with a radial depth, shown enlarged in FIG. 12 and situated between the pole pieces 4 and the armature coil 25. The coolant and lubricant can therefore flow round the armature coil 25 and the pole pieces 4 in the peripheral direction, and thus cool these and the windings 8 a, 8 b until it passes over the axial ends of the armature coil 25 into the working space 12 and is removed from it via the removal line 32.

FIG. 11 also shows that arranged close to each of the compression chambers 21 a, 21 b and beneath them, is one of the piston pumps 38 a, 38 b according to FIG. 5.

Each of these piston pumps 38 a, 38 b contains a cylinder 69 formed in the central pole piece 3 and made from a bore, above which is a collecting duct 70 provided on the floor of the working space 12, said collecting duct being connected to the cylinder 69 via an opening 71. In the cylinder 69, a piston (not shown in greater detail) may also move back and forth with the associated piston rod 39 a, 39 b.

Part of the water used as coolant and lubricant and the water that arises in the working space 12 through condensation of the steam entering through the outlet slits 23 a, 23 b is able to pass in this embodiment via the collecting ducts 70 and the opening 71 into the cylinder 69 and out of it through a removal line 72 according to FIGS. 5 and 11 to the vaporiser 29. The vaporiser therefore always has enough water available (e.g. 0.3 to 0.5 l/min) for generating the steam needed in the converter 37 without an additional external feed water pump being required. It should be understood that the piston pumps 38 a, 38 b are also provided with all the necessary valves or similar required for carrying out the pump strokes performed in the rhythm of the movement of the piston 14.

FIGS. 13 and 14 show a preferred embodiment of the piston ring 43 illustrated in FIG. 9, arranged between the piston head 41 b and the cylinder 16 b. In the interests of the longest possible service life and of simple servicing as soon as the wear limit is reached, the piston rings 43 are made up from a series of overlapping mutually displaceable elements. The wedge-shaped elements 74 may advantageously be made from softer material than the circular segment-shaped elements 73. By this means, a lasting seal against the cylinder wall 16 b is ensured. As FIG. 13 shows, first circular segment-shaped elements 73 alternate in the circumferential direction with second wedge-shaped elements 74. In the embodiment three elements 73 and three elements 74 lying between them are provided. The wedge-shaped elements 74 are substantially trapezium-shaped, whereby a shorter side serving as a sealing surface 75 coming to lie against the inner lining of the surrounding cylinder 16 b is rounded according to the internal contour of the cylinder section 16 b, whilst the longer side 76 lies opposed to the associated cylinder head 41 b. Between the two is a roof-shaped spring 77 formed for instance as a leaf spring, which presses the element radially outwards and keeps it in contact with the cylinder section 16 b. The two limbs 78 and 79 of the element 74 linking the sides 75, 76 are formed wedge-shaped and run towards each other from the inside to the outside.

The circular segment-shaped elements 73 are also formed as sealing surfaces 80 on their side facing away from the piston head 41 b and adapted to the inner contour of the cylinder section 16 b. They also have driving surfaces 81, 82 facing towards the limbs 78, 79 and lying against these. This brings the advantage that the elements 74 which are pretensioned radially outwards by the springs 77 also act with their limbs or wedge surfaces 78, 79 upon the driving surfaces 81, 82 of the adjacent elements 73 and therefore also press their sealing surfaces 80 radially outwards against the inner wall of the cylinder section 16 b. The elements 73, 74 are thereby automatically radially adjusted in the event of wear of the sealing surfaces 75, 80.

The elements 73, 74 are arranged such that no gap arises on the sliding surfaces. In the region of the elements 73, 74, these sliding surfaces are arranged overlapping as is shown in particular in FIG. 14. Each element 73, 74 has, for instance, half the wall thickness in an overlapping zone 83 formed thereby.

The roof-shaped springs 77 are preferably clipped into appropriate recesses in the elements 74 with eyes 84 provided in the roof region and thereby releasably linked to it, whilst the support surfaces of their limbs suitably lie in grooves formed in the jacket of the piston head 41 b. Otherwise it is clear that the piston head 41 a may be provided with a corresponding piston ring 43 and that the piston rings 64 a, 64 b according to FIG. 1 may be designed substantially like the piston rings 43.

The cylinder sections are preferably made from steel or artificial carbon infiltrated with antimony, whilst the piston ring elements 73, 74 are made, for instance, from softer material, which wears faster relative to the cylinder sections. This ensures that on servicing, only the rings that are more easily changed have to be replaced.

The invention is not restricted to the embodiments described, which may be altered in many ways, although the design described brings with it the advantage of an arrangement that is very simple to realise and small in size. For instance, in place of the described valve and slider control systems, other control systems may also be provided. In particular, the piston 14, in place of being operated with steam, may also be driven with combustion gases or common fuels, such as petrol or similar, in which case, the gases introduced into the compression chambers have to be ignited or exploded at the desired rate. It would also be possible to design the sealing rings (e.g. 64 a, 64 b) provided in the cylinder sections 16 a, 16 b similarly to the piston rings according to FIGS. 13 and 14 in order that they function like these and adjust themselves in the event of wear. However, in this case springs, for instance annular springs must be provided, acting radially inwards instead of radially outwards. It is also possible to leave out the spaces identified as compression chambers 21 a, 21 b all together and only regard the connection ports 36 and/or hoses linked to these as compression chambers. It is important for the function described only that the compression chambers 21 a, 21 b each represent sources or supply devices for the medium under pressure and are opened to the reaction chambers at the right time points. The sources may therefore also be realised with devices which directly generate the medium under pressure. Further, FIGS. 6 and 11, particularly show that the covers 10 a, 10 b may also be arranged with axial separations from the bases 5 of the pole piece 4 and the cylinders 16 a, 16 b may be axially displaced further outwards. In this connection it is important only that the outlet slits 23 a, 23 b open in some manner into the working space 12 in order always to guide the expanded medium into it (see also FIGS. 4 and 5), and that the covers 10 a, 10 b or the bases 5 are not perforated by moving parts such as, for instance, the piston 14, which would lead to sealing problems. Finally, it is evident that the various features may also be used in other combinations than those shown and described. 

1. Electromechanical energy converter for a gaseous for vaporous medium comprising a stator (1) with two pot-shaped stator members (1 a, 1 b), each open at one end face and adjoining each other at these end faces with mirror symmetry along a plane of symmetry (6), said stator members surrounding a working space (12) and forming a common magnetically permeated air gap (7), a coreless armature coil (25) displaceably arranged in the air gap (7), a freely oscillating piston (14) arranged in the working space (12) linked to the armature coil (25), at least one source (21 a, 21 b) for the medium, two reaction chambers (61 a, 66 a; 61 b, 66 b) each assigned to a head (15 a, 15 b; 41 a, 41 b) of the piston (14) and control means (17 a, 19 a, 22 a, 23 a, 47 a; 17 b, 19 b, 22 b, 23 b, 47 b) assigned to the reaction chambers (61 a, 66 a; 61 b, 66 b) for self-control of the piston oscillations, and by means of which the reaction chambers (61 a, 66 a, 61 b, 66 b) may be opened to the source (21 a, 21 b) during the piston oscillations for accepting medium under pressure, and to the working space (12) for releasing expanded medium, wherein the stator members (1 a, 1 b) are formed with rotational symmetry about a longitudinal axis (2) of the piston (14), wherein the central pole pieces (3) are each provided with a passageway (9) coaxial with the longitudinal axis (2), surrounding the working space and accommodating the piston (14) and the armature coil (25) is linked to the piston (14) via radial, inwardly projecting webs (24), wherein inserted in sealed manner in every passageway (9) is a closed cylinder section (16 a, 16 b) coaxial with the longitudinal axis (2) and closed to the outside with a cover (10 a, 10 b) and the piston (14) is provided on each of its ends with a piston head (15 a, 15 b; 41 a, 41 b) in an assigned cylinder section (16 a, 16 b) sealed and displaceably mounted, such that between each of the covers (10 a, 10 b) and the associated piston head (15 a, 15 b; 41 a, 41 b), a compression chamber comprising the source (21 a, 21 b) of the gaseous or vaporous medium comes into existence, and wherein the two compression chambers (21 a, 21 b) are linked together so as to permit flow, via a hollow space (45) passing through the working piston (14).
 2. Energy converter according to claim 1, wherein the stator members (1 a, 1 b) each have a central pole piece (3) and an outer pole piece (4) surrounding it.
 3. Energy converter according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the covers (10 a, 10 b) is provided with a connector (36) for supply and/or removal of the medium.
 4. Energy converter according to claim 1, wherein the control means (17 a, 19 a, 22 a, 23 a, 47 a; 17 b, 19 b, 22 b, 23 b, 47 b) are designed in the manner of a valve and/or slider valve control system.
 5. Energy converter according to claim 4, wherein the control means (17 a, 19 a, 22 a, 23 a, 47 a; 17 b, 19 b, 22 b, 23 b, 47 b) have outlet slits (23 a, 23 b) arranged on the axially inner ends of the two cylinder sections (16 a, 16 b) for the medium and the piston heads (15 a, 15 b; 41 a, 41 b) have sealing means (20 a, 20 b; 43) assigned to them.
 6. Energy converter according to claim 4, wherein the valve control system contains a valve (47 a, 47 b) arranged in each of the cylinder sections (16 a, 16 b) and actuatable by the associated piston head (41 a, 41 b).
 7. Energy converter according to claim 1, wherein the stator (1) has at least one feed line or removal line (34, 32) opening into the working space (12) for feeding or removal of a coolant and/or lubricant.
 8. Energy converter according to claim 1, wherein the armature coil (25) is linked to the piston (14) through slits (11) in the stator.
 9. Electromechanical energy converter for a gaseous for vaporous medium comprising a stator (1) with two pot-shaped stator members (1 a, 1 b), each open at one end face and adjoining each other at these end faces with mirror symmetry along a plane of symmetry (6), said stator members surrounding a working space (12) and forming a common magnetically permeated air gap (7), a coreless armature coil (25) displaceably arranged in the air gap (7), a freely oscillating piston (14) arranged in the working space (12) linked to the armature coil (25), at least one source (21 a, 21 b) for the medium, two reaction chambers (61 a, 66 a; 61 b, 66 b) each assigned to a head (15 a, 15 b; 41 a, 41 b) of the piston (14) and control means (17 a, 19 a, 22 a, 23 a, 47 a; 17 b, 19 b, 22 b, 23 b, 47 b) assigned to the reaction chambers (61 a, 66 a; 61 b, 66 b) for self-control of the piston oscillations, and by means of which the reaction chambers (61 a, 66 a, 61 b, 66 b) may be opened to the source (21 a, 21 b) during the piston oscillations for accepting medium under pressure, and to the working space (12) for releasing expanded medium, wherein the control means (17 a, 19 a, 22 a, 23 a, 47 a; 17 b, 19 b, 22 b, 23 b, 47 b) are designed in the manner of a valve and/or slider valve control system, and wherein the slide valve control system has control slits (22 a, 22 b) formed in the periphery of the piston heads (15 a, 15 b) and the cylinder sections (16 a, 16 b) are provided with sealing means (64 a, 64 b) assigned to said cylinder sections.
 10. Electromechanical energy converter for a gaseous for vaporous medium comprising a stator (1) with two pot-shaped stator members (1 a, 1 b), each open at one end face and adjoining each other at these end faces with mirror symmetry along a plane of symmetry (6), said stator members surrounding a working space (12) and forming a common magnetically permeated air gap (7), a coreless armature coil (25) displaceably arranged in the air gap (7), a freely oscillating piston (14) arranged in the working space (12) linked to the armature coil (25), at least one source (21 a, 21 b) for the medium, two reaction chambers (61 a, 66 a; 61 b, 66 b) each assigned to a head (15 a, 15 b; 41 a, 41 b) of the piston (14) and control means (17 a, 19 a, 22 a, 23 a, 47 a; 17 b, 19 b, 22 b, 23 b, 47 b) assigned to the reaction chambers (61 a, 66 a; 61 b, 66 b) for self-control of the piston oscillations, and by means of which the reaction chambers (61 a, 66 a, 61 b, 66 b) may be opened to the source (21 a, 21 b) during the piston oscillations for accepting medium under pressure, and to the working space (12) for releasing expanded medium, wherein the armature coil (25) is linked to at least one spring (27 a, 27 b) serving both for current supply and removal and for centering.
 11. Electromechanical energy converter for a gaseous for vaporous medium comprising a stator (1) with two pot-shaped stator members (1 a, 1 b), each open at one end face and adjoining each other at these end faces with mirror symmetry along a plane of symmetry (6), said stator members surrounding a working space (12) and forming a common magnetically permeated air gap (7), a coreless armature coil (25) displaceably arranged in the air gap (7), a freely oscillating piston (14) arranged in the working space (12) linked to the armature coil (25), at least one source (21 a, 21 b) for the medium, two reaction chambers (61 a, 66 a; 61 b, 66 b) each assigned to a head (15 a, 15 b; 41 a, 41 b) of the piston (14) and control means (17 a, 19 a, 22 a, 23 a, 47 a; 17 b, 19 b, 22 b, 23 b, 47 b) assigned to the reaction chambers (61 a, 66 a; 61 b, 66 b) for self-control of the piston oscillations, and by means of which the reaction chambers (61 a, 66 a, 61 b, 66 b) may be opened to the source (21 a, 21 b) during the piston oscillations for accepting medium under pressure, and to the working space (12) for releasing expanded medium, wherein the stator (1) has at least one feed line or removal line (34, 32) opening into the working space (12) for feeding or removal of a coolant and/or lubricant, and wherein the removal line (32) is provided with at least two outlets and the working space (12) is connected via a collecting duct (70) and a pump (38 a, 38 b) to at least one of the outlets.
 12. Energy converter according to claim 11, wherein the pump (38 a, 38 b) is a piston pump having a pump piston (39 a, 39 b) integrated in the stator (1) and the pump piston (39 a, 39 b) is linked in driving manner to the working piston (14).
 13. Energy converter according to claim 11, wherein it contains a vaporiser (29) having an outlet linked to the connector (36) of the cover (10 a, 10 b), that the medium is water vapour and that the first outlet linked to the pump (38 a, 38 b) is linked to an inlet of the vaporiser (29).
 14. Energy converter according to claim 11, wherein the coolant and/or lubricant is water and at least one second outlet is linked via a further pump (31) to a heat exchanger (33) connected to the feed line (34).
 15. Electromechanical energy converter for a gaseous for vaporous medium comprising a stator (1) with two pot-shaped stator members (1 a, 1 b), each open at one end face and adjoining each other at these end faces with mirror symmetry along a plane of symmetry (6), said stator members surrounding a working space (12) and forming a common magnetically permeated air gap (7), a coreless armature coil (25) displaceably arranged in the air gap (7), a freely oscillating piston (14) arranged in the working space (12) linked to the armature coil (25), at least one source (21 a, 21 b) for the medium, two reaction chambers (61 a, 66 a; 61 b, 66 b) each assigned to a head (15 a, 15 b; 41 a, 41 b) of the piston (14) and control means (17 a, 19 a, 22 a, 23 a, 47 a; 17 b, 19 b, 22 b, 23 b, 47 b) assigned to the reaction chambers (61 a, 66 a; 61 b, 66 b) for self-control of the piston oscillations, and by means of which the reaction chambers (61 a, 66 a, 61 b, 66 b) may be opened to the source (21 a, 21 b) during the piston oscillations for accepting medium under pressure, and to the working space (12) for releasing expanded medium, wherein the control means (17 a, 19 a, 22 a, 23 a, 47 a; 17 b, 19 b, 22 b, 23 b, 47 b) are designed in the manner of a valve and/or slider valve control system, wherein the control means (17 a, 19 a, 22 a, 23 a, 47 a; 17 b, 19 b, 22 b, 23 b, 47 b) have outlet slits (23 a, 23 b) arranged on the axially inner ends of the two cylinder sections (16 a, 16 b) for the medium and the piston heads (15 a, 15 b; 41 a, 41 b) have sealing means (20 a, 20 b; 43) assigned to them, and wherein at least the sealing means (20 a, 20 b; 43) allocated to the piston heads (15 a, 15 b; 41 a, 41 b) comprise piston rings projecting radially from the piston heads (15 a, 15 b; 41 a, 41 b) and assembled from mutually displaceable elements (73, 74) arranged overlapping.
 16. Energy converter according to claim 15, wherein the elements (73, 74) comprise, in the peripheral direction of the piston rings (20 a, 20 b; 43), alternating circular segment-shaped first elements (73) and second elements (74) radially pretensioned by springs (77), said second elements having wedge surfaces (78, 79) acting on the first elements (73). 